The Mutt of Man and Mer
by BossOfTheThirdStreetSaints
Summary: Following the adventures of Kano, the Dragonborn, Teldryn Sero, and (eventually) the legend Lucien, watch as they go through ruins, tombs, assassins, dragons, and the developing issues encompassing being everybody's hero at once... Rated M for future gore, swearing, and sexual innuendos and hints everywhere. Will get dark as the story goes on.
1. Mutt

**Boss: Well, here's my first Skyrim** **fanfiction. My main character was actually Khajiit but in reality, I look like an elf so I decided to make an elf that looked more like me with a similar background in that I'm a mutt. It helps me immerse myself into the game more, I guess. The points of view will shift from follower to Dragonborn in each chapter so there's more insight into how each character sees each other. Anyway, please enjoy and review. Constructive criticism is fine. Being a dick for no reason isn't. Thanks.**

* * *

The first time Teldryn Sero met his companion, Kano, was in Solstheim. As usual, he had taken his preferred spot by the fire in the Retching Netch with a cup of sujamma on the table, listening to the merriment taking place downstairs. The Retching Netch had become busier since the arrival of the outlander that everyone had taken a shining to (save for Mogrul but he didn't like anybody). Speaking of the outlander, the familiar black armored form had just stepped through the door. The armor they chose to wear somewhat confused him. It looked so...penetrable. As if just a quick run through with a great sword would end her and the design only made him more curious. The only thing he could make out on the armor was the design of the bird on the chest but beyond that, the make up of the suit just confused him. Lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice the outlander approach him until the black form stood directly in front of him, looking down at him, or so he assumed since all he could see beneath her hood was two white, shining dots where he guessed her eyes were. She said nothing at first, making him raise an eyebrow beneath his own headgear but he simply put down his mug and turned his attention to her.

"Teldryn Sero, blade for hire. If you have the coin, I'm at your service", he introduced. She remained quiet for a moment, sizing him up before tossing a bag of coins into his hand and turning around, jerking her head towards the door. He smirked beneath his helmet and put the coins into a compartment in his armor. "Lead the way". During their time traveling, he made a few observations on his new employer. She didn't speak very much unless she felt it was important, making conversation with her a bit difficult outside of doing business with people or during a fight. Another habit, he noticed, was that much like him, she kept her face gear on as much as possible. He'd never seen her face. Teldryn would sometimes try to stay awake later than her to see if she would take if off before bed but he always ended up dozing off and by the time he woke up, it would be morning and she would already be awake, adjusting the armor back on her face. He imagined that's how some of his past companions felt when it came to him and his helmet, which at the current moment was driving him insane to breathe under. They had just ventured to the bottom of a Dwemer ruin and ended up in a place called Blackreach.

When first mentioned, he simply shrugged. It didn't sound like that great of a place upon description, but the moment he and Kano stepped through into the glowing world beneath, he had to admit he was pleasantly surprised. It was a breathtaking sight and even Kano had to give their surroundings a small applause.

"Oh, my...this is...", she said, unable to find the right words. They made their way through the area, discreetly at first while she gathered what he was told were crimson nirnroots, but the farther they went, the more Falmer and Dwarven Centurions they came across until there was a mass behind them, following fast. Kano's hands began to glow purple as she conjured up her swords and turned to the enemies behind them. "Ready, Sero?" she smirked. He chuckled as he summoned his flame atronach and drew his own sword.

"Nerevar, guide me!". This lead them into their current situation. They had managed to cut down almost everyone that had come after them but not far from their position, the echoes of the fight began to attract more Falmer and other creatures, backing them up onto the platform leading back to the upper level. Before their enemies could reach them, Kano flipped the large golden switch, taking them away from the glowing underground city and back to the upper level. She looked over at Sero who was currently hunched over on his knee, his breathing as heavy and audible as hers. The feeling of her breaths heating up her face frustrated her to no extent and with a growl, she reached up and yanked down her hood and face cover, leaning her head back as she took in large gasps of the cool air and allowed herself to fall back against the stone wall behind them since the threat was gone. Teldryn also managed to pull himself together and leaned back against the same wall, looking at her from the corner of his eye as much as his helmet allowed. It was a pleasant surprise on his part to see his companion was actually quite attractive. Black as night, straight hair that fell in an unruly yet soft way just below her shoulders, skin of an odd shade as if a mix of several different races. As she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it away from her face, he saw the points of her ears, confirming she was mer, albeit they were shorter compared to many and easy to hide. Light scars ran down the right side of her face in somewhat jagged lines that dragged from the top of her high cheekbones to just above her jaw. She could somewhat feel his gaze on her and turned her full attention to him, showing dark scleras with irises of a red and brown mix like blood across the earth after battle that was only accentuated by the black kohl she wore around her eyes. In short, he was impressed.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked, catching her breath. "Are you hurt?" . Teldryn let out a chuckle and turned to her.

"No, no. I'm fine. Just...satisfied", he said. A small smirk graced her lips.

"Near death experience to get your blood pumping?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No. I was just wondering which one of us would be the first to finally show the other their face". She silently looked at him for a moment before rolling her eyes at him.

"Do you ever take that damned thing off?" she frowned. A deep laugh shook him as his breathing evened out and they sat together, coming down from their battle high.

"I get that question quite a lot, you know"

"But do you?". He turned his gaze to her and she could feel the smirk from beneath his red bandana, causing her to gently rub at her temples. "I can tell this partnership is going to be an absolute joy", she mumbled. Teldryn arose from his spot and approached her, offering her his hand.

"Oh, I agree", he said. The thought of what would come excited him as she took his hand and he pulled her up, looking at her up close. "An absolute joy, indeed".

* * *

He learned much about her in the coming weeks as she slowly became more and more talkative. As it turns out, he was correct on his hunch of her being mixed. Her father was Bosmer and Altmer and her mother was Breton and Nord, making her what she liked to call 'a mutt of man and mer' as she explained how the members of her family disregarded concepts of 'social status' and 'blood purity', unintentionally making things difficult for her through life as she grew up a 'mutt', the term bestowed upon her by others she grew up around that didn't approve of the relationships that brought her into existence. At the same time, despite her issues with her bloodline, when she told him she was Dragonborn, she couldn't help but express how she loved the look on the faces of some Nords when they found out their Nordic legend was part mer which at this point, Teldryn was sure she was pulling his leg. He didn't believe her until the day a dragon attacked and he watched her absorb the soul of the giant winged beast after witnessing the power of the Thu'um that erupted from her small elven frame.'Perhaps that's why she doesn't get involved in the war', he pondered.

They were currently in Dawnstar where the new Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary resided. She told him of the different factions she was a part of in order to clarify that if there were any issues with him being around certain people or areas where she needed to tend to business, he had the opportunity to back out but he laughed. "It's going to take a lot more than assassins and thieves to make me uncomfortable, sera. Whatever it is you have to deal with is fine so long as I'm not the target at any point". So, here he was, sitting by the hidden entrance to the Sanctuary next to the Khajiit caravan that could normally be found outside of the town. While he didn't care about what factions she was in or what she did in her spare time, he wasn't going to intrude on her business or get nosey. She hired him to have her back, not judge what she did. His eyes wandered over to the caravan beside him, watching as they sat patiently, awaiting interested buyers. One stoked the fire while another cut wood to stay warm. He didn't think they got cold due to their fur. They were in Riften when he decided to ask one (politely, mind you) about it, to which they said, "It is not so much that Khajiit get cold as it is our homeland of Elsweyr stays warm, so Khajiit are used to warmth". Made sense to him once broken down. Them not understanding how others dealt with the cold could be compared to how he didn't get how anybody in Skyrim grew ANYTHING in soil without ash, but he supposed it was simply a cultural thing and left it at that. A creak behind him let him know that Kano was finished with whatever it was she needed to deal with in her Sanctuary as she popped up beside him. The smell of blood caught his attention and he turned to see a large spray of blood painted across her blank face. "And whose blood is that exactly?" he asked, knowing it wasn't hers and silently admiring the contrast of the crimson compared to the mixed tones of her skin that he had come to appreciate.

"Heh. Don't remember her name but she was being a real bitch", she laughed lightly. Kano stuck out her tongue and licked what she could reach off her lips and the side of her mouth slowly with a small sigh of satisfaction. She hadn't really gotten around to telling Teldryn about her association with the vampires in Volkihar, but at the moment, Teldryn wasn't concerned about his companion's unspoken vampirism as he was too busy watching her tongue slowly run across her full lips before retreating back into her mouth. He was currently very thankful for his insistence on keeping his headgear on, otherwise she may have caught the entranced look on his face as he watched her small attempt at cleaning up some of the mess she had made. She pulled at the cape on her armor and swiped it across her face, cleaning up the rest of the blood she couldn't reach. "Ready to get going?" she asked, pulling her hood back over her head to obscure her from the light.

"Where are we headed next?"

"Back to Riften. I have to check on some things", she said. A frown graced his lips but all Kano saw was the nod of his head. It wasn't that he had an issue with the place or the Guild beneath the city. He heard all kinds of tales about Riften from Glover. The problem was that he wasn't very fond of Brynjolf, Kano's right hand man amongst the thieves. There was something there, he could tell. It was evident in the way he looked at Kano and vice versa, his tone when addressing her, the agitating smirk that crossed his face when talking to her. Every time he heard 'lass' from him, it grated his nerves to no end. Of course, their relationship was none of his business and he knew it but he couldn't help how his eyes rolled when they started in on their ever so 'flirty' conversations. They were still talking business but good gods, they always insisted on speaking as if they were fucking each other with their words.

* * *

"Well, hello there, lass"

There it was. The trademark accent of the redheaded thief that his employer seemed to be so fond of. Kano pulled down her hood and shook out her hair, smiling at the thief. They had just descended the ladder of the secret entrance into the cistern and were greeted by Sapphire and Rune when Brynjolf approached.

"Hello to you too, Brynjolf", she responded. Brynjolf's eyes turned to Teldryn and he nodded.

"Hello, Teldryn. What brings you two back to so soon?" he asked as they made their way to the Ragged Flagon.

"I have some things for Delvin and since I'm going to be in the city for a few days, I figured now would be a good time to see how things have been going since I've been away", she responded. Sero rolled his eyes again. The sickeningly sweet tone she used when talking to him could be used in place of honey to make mead if she really put forth the effort and if he were not a well-mannered, intelligent man, he'd shout at them at the top of his lungs to just fuck and get it over with already, but he was definitely not going to insist on Kano fucking the other man. Whether it be because of the jealous streak he developed for her or otherwise, many of the men she introduced him to held an air about them that he was simply not taking a liking to.

"They've been going rather well, lass, although with you here, things always seem better", he said to her with that wolfish grin he always sent her way. Kano let out a laugh as she approached Delvin who merely shook his head at their antics. Teldryn liked Delvin. He was to the point and not attracted to Kano.

"Delvin Mallory, just the man I wanted to see", she said, sitting down in front of the older thief. He raised a brow.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that but okay", he sarcastically remarked. "What is it you need to see me for?". Kano smiled as she reached into the bag she had been toting around and began to pull out certain trinkets and statues from various places they had traveled to, setting them neatly on the table.

"You wouldn't happen to be interested in these, would you?" she asked. The man's eyes wandered the objects as he leaned forward against the table with a growing look of satisfaction.

"Well then. Been lookin' for these beauties for a while. Where'd you manage to find 'em?" he asked as he inspected each item. Kano leaned back in her chair and cocked her head.

"Work doesn't stop just because I'm not here, Delvin. You guys are always on my mind when I steal other people's belongings", she smiled, looking up at Teldryn. "Isn't that right, Sero?". Teldryn chuckled. It was true.

"She is quite chatty when it comes to all of you down here. I even got an earful about Mercer frey", he said. "Nasty bit of business you all had to deal with". Delvin sighed and shook his head.

"Nasty, indeed, but nothin' we haven't been able to bounce back from", he responded as he shucked out the coin for the items Kano brought in. "In fact, I dare say we've been doin' bettah, 'course that's a given since we don't have someone stealin' from the vaults no more".

"True. And let's be real, his voice was that of a khajiit's nails dragging against glass", Kano said with a grimace. "Wasn't a fan of hearing him speak". Delvin chuckled for a moment before he looked to the side, seeing Vex walk in from the cistern.

"It's been lovely catchin' up there but I got some things to tend to", he said as he rose from his seat, making his way to the blonde thief. Kano raised a brow and kinda laughed before turning to Teldryn, gesturing for him to sit down in his place.

"Nocturnal love him, he's never gonna stop gunning for Vex", she laughed as she split up the money from Delvin, pushing Teldryn's half towards him.

"How long has he been trying to woo her?" he asked, shoving the money into his coin purse. Kano threw up her eyebrows and shook her head.

"Since before I was even here, apparently. He hasn't given up yet, so I'm kinda hoping at this point he succeeds to be totally honest", she said as she rested her elbow on the table and leaned her head in her hand. "I think it would be kind of cute, in a somewhat strange way".

"Does anybody else here have any relationships within the Guild?" he asked. She shrugged as her eyes looked around at everyone in the Flagon.

"Well, as far as I know, Tonilia and Vekel may be in some type of relationship which would explain why she insists on hanging out in the Flagon most of the time. And Vex is everybody's favorite here to be honest as far as general affections go but other than that, I haven't the slightest idea. Sapphire isn't one for closeness, so I don't think she's got anyone she's particularly interested in here". As Brynjolf came into view and took a seat at the high bar, Teldryn decided to get a bit more curious.

"What about Brynjolf?" he asked. A smile came across Kano's face as she looked at the thief who smiled back at her.

"No. He likes using his charm to his advantage since he knows he's attractive. For him, it's just another tool for the trade, like a really good lockpick. Of course, I'm fairly certain he's picked more than his fair share of 'locks' in his time with the Guild", she laughed. Teldryn let out a half chuckle, somewhat relieved to know that there wasn't a relationship between the two, but it was short lived when the redhead made his way over to them, pulling a chair up between them.

"You wouldn't happen to be talking about me now, would you, lass?" he chuckled with a tankard in hand. She shrugged, grabbing the cup from his hand and taking a swallow from it before handing it back to him.

"Maybe. Teldryn just wanted to know about all of the possible relationships going on within the Guild, so I informed him of the two maybe existent one and then the many you've perhaps used to your advantage. Of course, 'relationship' may be a strong word for describing what you've gotten into", she smirked. Brynjolf raised a brow with a smirk.

"Hey, now, I never did anything more than what I was invited to do. Technically. I guess I ran off with more hearts than gold on accident", he said in his cocky tone to which Kano rolled her eyes and looked at Teldryn.

"What'd I tell you? Definitely picked more than his fair share of 'locks'"

"'Lock' would insinuate it was difficult to get into", Brynjolf smirked as he leaned back in his chair, reminiscing on past 'accomplishments'. Beneath his helmet, Teldryn's eyes were rolling like skulls off of a stone staircase. The thief certainly had no problem acknowledging his 'endeavors' beyond his current profession. "Come on, now. You can't say you haven't fluttered those pretty lashes once or twice to get a job done or blown a kiss here and there to empty some poor fool's pockets, lass". Kano chuckled.

"I've never had to shed one bit of clothing to get what I wanted, Bryn. I'm good enough that I don't have to do that", she said as she smirked at the older thief.

"Oh, lass. You don't have to, but it's more fun if you do". There it was again. That wolfish look he gave Kano that made Teldryn want to vomit on command. Kano raised a brow.

"And that's the fine line between a thief and a common harlot, my dearest Brynjolf. So, in a way, you just said it was fun to be a harlot. Is it, Bryn?" she asked.

"Hey, I am not a harlot. I can't help if women find me attractive"

"Still makes you a harlot when you run off with their belongings afterwards". Brynjolf turned to Teldryn.

"Teldryn, back me up here. If a woman throws herself at you and makes it clear what she wants, is it really so bad to take a few things afterwards as 'compensation for services rendered'?" he asked. Sero sat there, looking at the thieves, wondering how exactly the conversation took a turn for a debate before leaning back in his chair and cocking his head a bit, the smirk on his face obscured by his bandana.

"Honestly, Brynjolf", Teldryn said,"it definitely makes you a harlot." Kano threw her arms into the air.

"Told you so!" she said teasingly to Bryn, who rolled his eyes with a light smile.

"You can't say you haven't perhaps done the same thing", he said to the chitin armored elf.

"Oh, I'm not denying spending nights with women, I just never took anything after"

"Why not?". A grin crossed Teldryn's face.

"They remember me quite well and fondly without me running off with any of their belongings".

Brynjolf's jaw nearly hit the stone floor.

* * *

 **Boss: So, there it is. That's the first chapter of my first Skyrim story.**

 **Please review. Thank you for reading.**


	2. Mead

**So...yea. Here's this. Gonna create a few personal problems before we delve into the nitty gritty of the story. So...yea.**

 **Read and review.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Strike what Teldryn said before. He may not be very fond of Brynjolf, but he had an even harder time dealing with Lucien, Kano's spectral companion and legend of the Dark Brotherhood. He was accompanying them more often these days, what with the number of people that have been out for Kano's life lately. He imagined it was to be expected with the way things were going in Skyrim that she would want an extra set of eyes with them, its just...the way he spoke to Kano that annoyed him, moreso than Brynjolf. They were sitting in her house, Honeyside, in Riften when he met the specter. They were only here for a couple of days before a group of thugs were at her door with weapons drawn to which she simply rolled her eyes in annoyance. After they had taken them out quickly, she went through their pockets and found a note. Somehow, she had managed to hurt somebody's delicate feelings after running a job in Winterhold and they wanted payback. Upon reading the note, she rolled her eyes again before pocketing the note and stacking the bodies beside the door for the guards to deal with.

"Is this a common occurence for you?" he asked as they went back into the house. She somewhat chuckled as she went into her room and shed her armor in favor of a regular long sleeved tunic and simple pants.

"Yes. Ever since I came to Skyrim, it seems everybody has been or will be out for my blood at one point or another. Even the Dark Brotherhood was after me at one point", she said as she came out of her room and sat at the table before the fire. "I never did get to ask Astrid who the assassin she sent after me was. Speaking of assassins". She leaned forward in her chair and raised her hand, gathering her magicka before unleashing a summon spell. Before him appeared a glowing hooded figure who didn't seem too surprised to see Kano.

"Listener", he said, his voice deep, smooth, and gravely.

"Lucien", she responded, leaning back in her chair. "I doubt I need to tell you why I summoned you."

"Of course not, my dear Listener. I am all too aware of all of those you've sent to our Dread Father. You've been quite busy", he chuckled before looking to Teldryn. "And who is this?"

"Lucien, this is Teldryn Sero. Teldryn, this is Lucien LaChance, a Dark Brotherhood legend", she introduced. A nod was shared between the two, Teldryn more surprised to see the spectral assassin than the latter was to see him.

"I love how casually you introduce all of these people to me", Teldryn remarked as he took the seat across from her to which she simply shrugged.

"Well, it's not everyday you get to meet a legendary assassin and a master thief. I figured you'd be fairly impressed"

"Oh, I am", he said as he opened a bottle of mead,"but at the same time, the more of your associates I meet, the less surprised I am about why people may be after you". A laugh came from her and her spectral counterpart.

"It comes with the deal. But that's okay. It helps me keep my skills sharp", she sighed as she popped her neck. "Anybody that wants to come after me to kill me is welcome to try, but it's going to take one of true skill to send me to meet our Dread Father". As Teldryn adjusted the bandana around his face, she raised a brow. "But before that day comes, one day, I swear I will get you to take that helmet off". He looked at her before putting the neck of the mead bottle beneath the red cloth and taking a swallow of the bottle's contents.

"Perhaps one day", he said, "just not today. Tomorrow isn't looking very good either". Lucien raised a brow at Teldryn as he leaned against the wall.

"Quite a smart one you have with you, Listener", he said, not liking the way he spoke to his Listener, but she gave him a look telling him to relax.

"You have to be to survive hanging around me, Lucien. You know that", she said. "Besides, nothing wrong with a little humor and sass while you kill and create chaos across Skyrim". He chuckled.

"So I've heard from our beloved jester, Cicero".

"Cicero!" Kano suddenly exclaimed. "That's the next one I need to introduce to you. He's so precious, Sithis love him".

"I'm guessing when you say precious, you mean a psychopath that may sometimes be funny on occasion, as most jesters are", Teldryn deadpanned, intending on it being a joke. Kano threw up her eyebrows.

"Actually, you're not far off. At all. In fact, you hit the nail right on the head"

"You have got to be kidding me. Is there anybody out there you know that isn't deranged in some way?"

"Yes, actually. They just don't know...details about me". There was a sudden knock at the door that drew their attention and Kano rose from her seat, putting a hand behind her back to grasp her blade of woe before opening the door slowly, seeing a courier. She let go of her weapon. "Yes?"

"Got a letter for you", he said as he rummaged through the stack in his hand. "Let's see...it's from the Jarl. You're quite popular, aren't you? Well, gotta go", and he waved as he took his leave. She shut the door and quickly opened the letter, skimming over it before heading into her room. Teldryn and Lucien looked at each other for a moment before turning their attention to the doorway she had just passed through.

"Is everything alright, sera?" the dark elf asked. Kano emerged from her room adorned in her Nightingale armor and nodded.

"Yes. The Jarl just needs to speak to me for a moment", she responded. "Wait here. I'll be right back"

"You're going ahead without me? Suit yourself". She chuckled as she rolled her eyes and headed out the door, leaving the two men alone in the house. It was silent for a moment. Neither man really had an interest in a conversation, but soon, the crackling of the fire in the hearth became annoyingly monotonous.

"So, how are you faring in your adventures with the Listener?" Lucien asked.

"Quite well, actually. I'm certainly making more money than I did with my last patron". Teldryn turned towards the table and lifted the helmet from his head, allowing his gravity defying mohawk to make itself know as he ran a hand through the brown and black hair before untying the red bandana around the lower half of his face. He blinked his almost glowing red eyes a few times, not quite used to ash free air and took another sip of his mead. Lucien looked at the elf for a moment, not expecting him to actually be a decent looking man. He assumed since he never took off his helmet that perhaps he was hiding an awful deformity or something to that nature, but no. He was good looking.

"Is there a particular reason you keep that helmet on in the first place?". Teldryn chuckled.

"Well, ash for one thing. Back on Solstheim, it's nearly impossible to not end up with ash in your ears and nose. It annoyed me so I decided to simply keep the helmet on as often as possible. But since I've been in Skyrim, it's because of the constant cold and bugs. The fact that it annoys Kano is simply a plus". Lucien raised a brow. So, he enjoyed annoying a murderer and leader of a family of assassins? Strange.

"You enjoy annoying her? Are you attempting to catch her attention?" the assassin teased. Sero frowned.

"No. I know how to court a lady without acting like an absolute childish buffoon. Annoying someone to get their attention makes you free game for anybody to retaliate"

"A lady? You think the Listener is a 'lady'?"

"Yes. Why?". Lucien laughed.

"Don't let her hear you say that. She isn't fond of the term", he said, remembering what happened to the last man to call her a 'lady'. Poor fool didn't even finish his sentence before his head was rolling down hill. Recalling what Sero said, a smirk came across his ghostly face. "But you do have an interest in her, don't you?". Sero raised a brow at the assassin and leaned back in his chair, his red orbs now fully on the ghost.

"What makes you say that?" he asked, not appreciating the sudden interest Lucien had in his personal thoughts. Lucien shrugged, enjoying picking Teldryn's brain. It was the easiest way to discover someone's weaknesses. You know. For future references.

"Just a bit of curiosity. I wouldn't necessarily blame you for being attracted to the Listener. She's quite a sight to behold on top of being one of the most deadly women I've ever met."

"And why exactly do you want to know what I think of her?"

"Well, in a way, it's my job to know. She and I have a special...relationship". The joy Lucien was getting out of poking at the elf was almost as good as the sound of shrieks and death gurgles. He could see the internal squirming in his eyes as he scraped his skull for a way to respond without saying too much.

"And what kind of relationship is that?" he asked, taking a large swallow from his mead bottle. Yup. He was not fond of Lucien.

"Her and I, we are bonded through the powers of the Void, her, the Listener and I, the Silencer. In the eyes of our Dread Father, it could even be seen as a type of...marriage". Had Teldryn been lacking in self control, his mead would've been spat across the floor of Kano's house, but he managed to swallow his beverage and stay calm at Lucien's response. Before he could respond, Lucien chuckled. "You may want to put your helmet back on, Sero. She's on her way back". He tied his bandana across his face with a glare before pulling his helmet back on just as Kano's footsteps became audible outside of the door. "Welcome back, Listener", Lucien said as she walked through the door. "What did the Jarl require of you?".

"Turns out, our 'oh so wise' jarl has finally decided to acknowledge the skooma deals taking place right in front of her annoyingly oblivious face and wants me to begin looking into it", Kano said as she rolled her eyes. "To be totally honest, she decided to do something about it sooner than I expected. I guess I owe Brynjolf some coin".

"So, where do we start?" Teldryn asked. She let out a chuckle as she again began to shed her armor in her room.

"We start in the morning AFTER getting some well deserved rest. I'm not a dwarven automaton, I don't just keep running on steam because someone wants me to. I need sleep sometimes, maybe even food every once in a while". The sounds of her armor hitting the floor caught their attention and Lucien leaned his head into the doorway a bit with a smirk, making Teldryn frown and roll his bloody red eyes. "And I'd say you've earned the same thing, Sero". Her footsteps came back into the room and she took her place back at the table in her pants and shirt. "In fact, we'll start a bit later in the day. The jarl isn't necessarily on my list of favorite people at the moment anyway".

"Well, thank you, sera", Teldryn replied, relaxing a bit more. He had to admit, their travels as of late did leave him a bit taxed (as well as putting up with her spectral friend, despite how brief it was). She nodded in his direction as she grabbed a bottle of Black-Briar mead off her shelf, uncorking it.

"Of course. You can sleep in my bed for the night", she said, making him raise a brow beneath his helmet. Lucien also raised a brow.

"And where are you going to sleep?" Lucien asked. The tone of his voice told Kano what he was thinking and she rolled her eyes at the insinuation.

"Really, Lucien? There are spare beds downstairs, I'll sleep in one of those"

"I don't want to put you out of your own room, sera", Teldryn said but she raised her hand in his direction.

"You're not. Take it as an order from your employer if you must but it's the least I can do for dragging you all the way from Solstheim to Skyrim and putting you in plenty of life or death situations". It didn't seem that big of a deal to her. When she was young, despite all of the troubles she had to deal with, she was still taught how to treat guests and extend hospitalities to people you appreciated and it was something that had actually taken her quite far in many of her endeavors throughout Skyrim. And she liked Teldryn. He didn't suck up to her or act like the sun rose when she opened her eyes. If he had a thought on something, an opinion, or if he disagreed with her at any point, he told her what and why and she took it in consideration when making a choice for their next plan of action. They had become quite good friends over the course of their travels and she trusted him to have her back. "That reminds me. After we deal with this skooma issue, we're going to be taking another trip into another dwarven ruin", she said, taking another sip of mead.

"Really? What for this time?". Kano reached into her bag hanging off her chair and pulled out a small black cube with strange red hieroglyphs all over it. She dropped it on the table with a loud thunk. Confused looks came over both men's faces as they both leaned in close to inspect the object.

"Well, it's dwarven, that much is obvious", Teldryn said, "but exactly WHAT is it?"

"That, boys, is called a lexicon. It contains the memories and knowledge and the like from a vast number of dwemer. And we'll be on our way to Avanchnzel to return it". Teldryn let out a small chuckle and leaned back in his chair.

"The guild master for a band of thieves is setting out on a mission to give something back?". Kano nodded.

"Yes, I know, it's not often I do that but that's what we're going to be doing after we get this skooma mess out of the way. Though, I wish it was as simple as I made it sound. But it should be fun. There will be plenty to kill and plenty of valuables to nab while we're there".

"Lovely. More falmer", Sero sarcastically bit. "I suppose the gold and gems will be fairly worth it".

"Delving into the ruins of a dead civilization filled with the remnants of a betrayed race and automatons created for the soul purpose of killing anything that disturbs their old master's home just to return a metal cube filled with knowledge few can do anything with? Sounds lovely", Lucien said grinning. "Our Dread Father does find the tainted souls of the falmer rather...intriguing". Kano grinned back at her assassin and Sero merely rolled his eyes at the two. Lucien was worse than Brynjolf. Where Brynjolf used mostly words to make insinuations, Lucien used facial expressions and actions. Not to mention their relationship or 'marriage under the eyes of Sithis' as Lucien wanted to put it. He knew the specter was simply trying to get under his skin, but there was still truth behind what he said to him. She was deadly and very attractive and that was desirable to many across Tamriel. If anything, being a 'mutt' only made her more attractive as a specimen of the strange beauty that could be produced in those that did not have prejudice against race, man and mer alike. And when seen beyond face value, she was dangerous. Any weapon put in her hand was an automatic death sentence to anyone in her line of sight at the wrong time. Bow, sword, long sword, mace, warhammer, axe, even magic. She could do it all but preferred to be swift and stealthy when possible. There was a lot to be admired. The elf soon shook himself from his own thoughts when he realized how deep his pondering was beginning to go. It was frustrating. He knew he was attracted to her from a physical standpoint but that was easy enough to deal with. It was the emotional and mental attraction that bothered him. If he became emotionally invested in her, that would change their partnership and then what? Teldryn turned to see her stretch and let out a yawn as she ran a hand through her black locks.

"I'm going to bed. You two play nicely", she said as she rose from her chair with her bottle of mead in hand. "Especially you, Lucien". The ghost laughed and nodded.

"Of course, my dear Listener. Sleep well".

"Good night, sera", Teldryn said. She descended the stairs and once again, the two men were left alone. Teldryn sighed and lifted his helmet from his head and untied his bandana. He could tell already this was going to be one of those nights where his main priority was mead instead of sleep. As he stood and began to unlatch his armor, Lucien took the seat Kano had been sitting in.

"The internal struggle must be driving you absolutely mad", Lucien smiled. Sero glared over his shoulder at him as his heavy chitin armor hit the floor, piece by piece, leaving him in his tunic and pants. "You're not very good at hiding your thoughts, even with that large helmet on. You're like an open book-"

"Is there a particular reason you're badgering me, ghost, other than for your own sadistic humor? Or is there a point to this?" Sero said as he turned to him, thoroughly agitated. Lucien cocked his head, unable to hide the grin frozen on his face at the elf's outburst. Open book, indeed.

"I suppose it's a little bit of both, my friend. While I do so enjoy watching you squirm and mentally fight with yourself, you do have the smallest piece of my sympathies. Even less, really, but as you are my Listener's follower, I must show a level of...respect, I suppose. So, tell me. What are your intentions?". Sero raised a brow, taking his place back in his chair.

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by that. Kano paid me to follow her, so I follow. And have made quite a bit of gold doing it". Lucien crossed his arms.

"Is that all you're going to do? Just follow her around until one of you eventually dies-"

"Exactly why is a long since dead assassin trying to analyze me and question my intentions in life?" Zero growled. Ah, yes. He was chipping away more and more of his armor and getting to the soft center of the red-eyed warrior. Perfect. The longer Teldryn looked at Lucien, the more he noticed the shifts in the ghost's facial expression until he was suddenly cackling in his face, only serving to further agitate and confuse him. "What the hell is so funny now?"

"You, my elven friend. You are quite a funny fellow. You honestly think you're unreadable just because you wear a helmet? In all my years both in Tamriel and the Void, I've learned that despite what all men, mer, and beast races think they can hide, in the reality of it, they're all screaming their thoughts to the world. The ones that think they can hide it with a few measly plates of armor are the ones that are the loudest and those souls", he paused, biting his lip in satisfaction as he shut his eyes, "those are the souls our dread father finds the most fulfilling. Such potent pain and distress and inner turmoil. All for the sake of a few glory songs to sing in a mead hall. It's quite amusing the things you learn about these 'great warriors' after death. Their fears and regrets". A deep frown embedded itself on Teldryn's face as he began taking more and more frequent swigs of his mead. He did not like the direction things suddenly went in.

"Why are you telling me this?" he said.

"Simple. Are you going to come clean and stop screaming your secrets to the world or do you like to sit and bask in your denial?". Sero felt his stomach drop a little. So, Lucien knew he had some unsolved feelings for Kano. So what? It wasn't causing any problems until Lucien decided he felt the need to talk about it. Only now was he feeling distressed about it, which caused him to glare at him.

"You're only mentioning this because you want me to become so uncomfortable about it, it makes itself known".

"Smart one. I expect you'll enjoy stewing in this on your own for a while until next we meet. In the meantime, I'll be in the Void until my Listener summons me again", and with that, he vanished, leaving Teldryn to his NOW frazzled brain.

* * *

It had been about two hours since Lucien excused himself from the realm of the living and in that time, Teldryn had been THOROUGHLY mulling over his thoughts with help from the Black-Briar's ever so popular mead that seemed to be quite plentiful in Kano's home, according to the group of empty bottles that had accumulated atop the table. He KNEW Lucien did this on purpose. He knew it. But...that didn't make him any less right. And that realization alone made him take another large swallow of mead. Gods only knew how long it had been since he had to deal with these...feelings. Not just the primal ones, either. She was definitely a one of a kind woman. He shook his head in frustration and only ended up making himself dizzier than he already was. He put his elbows against his knees and let his head hang to try to stop some of the dizziness, making him unaware of the footsteps coming up the ladder as a half asleep Kano came into the room. Her eyes landed on his armor that was set aside and then looked to the drunken form at the table that was only visible because of the small bits of light the dying hearth had to offer.

"Sero? Why are you-" but she stopped when he quickly picked his head up and looked at her, making her forget her sentence. The light was dying but still bright enough for her to make out all of his features. How high and sharp his cheekbones were, his black and brown mohawk that looked soft to the touch, his eyes that looked like freshly spilled blood, the light gray tone of his practically unmarred skin, the markings going around each side of his face and down the center of his chin, the neat facial hair. He was incredibly attractive. She blinked her sleep hazed eyes a few more times and the thought she could still be dreaming crossed her as she stepped closer. "Y...you're still awake", she quietly said, her voice scratchy from sleep. Her eyes remained concentrated on the dark elf.

"I am, sera", he said, still inebriated but feeling the drop in his stomach as she stared at him. "And why are you up?". His tone remained even and controlled while his mind ran rampant at the sudden reveal of his face to her. She cocked her head slightly, her eyes half closed.

"I'm pretty sure I'm still asleep, having a mundane, yet surprisingly pleasant dream since I can see your face, finally", she said. Teldryn stood from his spot and set his bottle on the table before stepping close to her.

"And now that you've seen it?". She stood and analyzed his features further as he watched her ebony encompassed earth toned eyes go up and down.

"Now that I've seen it, I'm...very pleased. You're quite attractive", she said. "Astoundingly attractive, actually". Kano stepped closer and Teldryn was suddenly stuck between nervous and drunken curiosity. In terms of height, she had pulled more from the Bosmer side, being only an inch shorter than him which made eye contact inevitable between them.

"Astoundingly attractive? I'm flattered, sera. I would be lying if I said I didn't think the same of you", he said. His brain told him to stop, to say no more and tell her to head back to bed and for him to do the same. However, despite his screaming thoughts, he didn't. Where his mind said shut up, his mouth decided now was the time for honesty. "I've thought so since the day we made it out of Blackreach and you pulled your cowl down". His hand carefully reached up and traced the scars running down her cheek. Her skin was soft despite the scars and she sighed lightly. She was dreaming. This was a dream. It had to be. The real Sero wouldn't be like this with her. They were both sarcastic, blunt, straight to the point. They never danced around anything. But this was her dream. Anything could happen in her dream. Even these incredibly out of character actions, so she decided to go with the flow.

"Does that mean you're just taking me at face value?" she chuckled, making him do the same as he leaned in.

"Of course not, sera". It didn't dawn on him until after his lips were sealed to hers that this shouldn't be happening. That this had gone too far and it would compromise their working relationship. She was his employer and he was her follower. He was supposed to follow, not kiss her in the middle of her own home because a dead assassin said he was too much of a chicken shit to admit he had feelings for a thief/assassin/dragonborn/thane of all holds/gods know what else/mutt. But it was happening and she was responding, her fingers clinging to the front of his tunic and his hands finding their way to her waist.

This wasn't good...


	3. Price

**Been dealing with writer's block as well as a new job, so yea. Schedules been kinda off.**

 **Here's the next thing.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Kano slowly rolled over as she began to wake up, trying to open her eyes. She had slept somewhat well last night, which was a surprise since she didn't normally sleep even a little bit pleasantly, what with her vampire blood making her cycle completely backwards and her normal lack of sleep. As she stretched, she ran through yesterday's events. Ran a few errands. Killed some thugs on her doorstep. Saw the Jarl. Went to bed. Woke up. Kissed Teldryn.

At the last thought, she shot up into a sitting position, this time fully alert and a bit panicked. She ran over her thoughts repeatedly, certain it was a dream. Even seeing his face had to be a dream. That face was far too mesmerizing to be real. She turned to look at all of her surroundings so she could piece together what was and wasn't real. The mead bottle on her bedside told her she had a bit to drink before bed. Okay. Nothing weird there, so she quickly hopped out of bed and made her way upstairs. If anyone could clarify, it would be Teldryn Sero. As she made it upstairs, she analyzed everything. There was no pile of empty mead bottles like she remembered seeing on the table before. In fact, there were still plenty on the shelves as if they were never touched.

"Good morning, sera", she heard Teldryn say. She turned to him and saw him already in his full armor seated at the table, speaking clearly. There was no sign of a hangover nor a smell of mead anywhere around him and there was no air of awkwardness. So, it had been a dream.

'Damn', she thought to herself. So, she hadn't seen his face. A small chuckle left her as she ran a hand through her hair and shook it out.

"Morning, Teldryn. You're up early", she said. He shrugged.

"Ended up sleeping fairly well last night, so waking up was no problem", he replied.

Honestly, Teldryn hadn't slept. At all. He spent the rest of the night cleaning up the mess and thinking on what happened.

 **Flashback**

 _This wasn't supposed to happen._

 _Kano slowly began to work her way from his lips, over his jaw, and down his neck. Teldryn stood frozen. He wanted this to happen, gods knew he wanted this, but even in his drunken state, he knew he couldn't allow it and it only served to further muddle his thoughts. The frustrated elf bit into his lip hard as he felt her gently begin to nip at his neck before simply burying her face into the spot where his neck and shoulder met. He slowly wound his arms around her form before tightly pressing her to him and copying her, burying his nose into her neck. She smelled of cold, of winter. That was the only way he could think to describe it. Her skin was cool and she smelled of cold air and perhaps snowberries and he just wanted to drown in it as he pressed his lips to her neck, not noticing the shallow, almost nonexistent pulse._

 _"Sera", he murmured. She didn't reply. "Sera?". Slow breaths brushed against his neck and to his relief (and perhaps some disappointment), she had fallen back asleep, nestled against his warmer body. Gently, he managed to lift her up into his arms and by some miracle granted by the gods, take her back downstairs to the bed where her house carl normally slept (Iona had needed to take care of a personal matter and Kano didn't question it). Once she was back in bed, Sero's head began to quickly clear as he replayed everything that had happened and he ran a hand over his face before racing back upstairs. He went into his own travel bag and rummaged through some of the glass bottles within before pulling one out and uncorking it, swallowing some of the contents within. His face twisted up at the unpleasant bitterness but his thoughts began to clear and he let out a sigh before adding another log to the hearth. He had to tidy up the mess. Had to keep himself busy. If he was lucky, she'd just think this was all a dream in the morning. After all, she wasn't a morning person and most days barely remembered what she ate the day before._

 _But gods, he knew this wasn't a dream. It happened._

 **End flashback**

Kano had went back downstairs with a rag to the wash basin and began to clean up, the cool water helping her become fully conscious. She leaned her elbows against the edge of the bowl and sighed. It was no problem acting normal about something that didn't happen but she couldn't help the lingering thoughts. She could recall that face so clearly. She had met many a handsome man across Tamriel. Brynjolf, Rune, Cynric, and Vipir just to name the few closest at the moment. Hell, even Lucien, in a strange sociopathic way. But the face she had seen last night. It was almost otherworldly to her.

A frown came across her features and she threw another handful of water into her face before drying it and preparing for the day, applying her regular eye kohls and colors. Before, she used to wear war paints but she found they didn't make her look as threatening, so she stopped and decided to emulate more unsettling figures she had heard stories about. If she looked threatening, people would take her seriously.

Before it was decided that she needed to master her self defense, she was an artist, hence her warpaints. Her world was colorful. The things she could do with charcoal and colors would amaze many that knew her. It managed to distract from the fact that her blood wasn't as blue as her peers and even earned her certain levels of respect. But a plague soon washed over her. Words from people, parents, and an array of unfortunate events began to linger in her mind and soon, she found the thing she loved most became the thing she could no longer do. Her charcoal turned to dust. Her parchments crumbled. Her pigment bowls remained stained but never replenished. The colors she saw in her world turned to a monochromatic scale of black, white, and all matter of greys in between. Pent up rage, anger, and sadness caused her to spend countless hours with a weapon in hand, hacking and slashing away at anything and anyone that she could until nothing was left. Until she was too exhausted to feel anything but tired.

Her tunic and pants were tossed to a corner of the room as she began equipping her Nightingale armor. Becoming Dragonborn had actually put some colors back into her life (aside from red of course). It made her important. Made her decisions mean something. Made people listen to her. Joining the Dark Brotherhood gave her peace and satisfaction in being able to decide who lives and dies and all the ways she could end another's life. Sometimes, if her contracts were located in quieter places, she would get 'creative' and indulge in some of her curiosities concerning the functions of people's bodies. The blades on her knives stayed so finely sharp, flaying open her targets became child's play and unfortunately, the shock would kill some of them before she could get into the nitty gritty of her endeavors for their insides. Because of this, she made it a point not to bring Teldryn into the Sanctuary just yet. Despite his assurance of not caring about her business, she was certain he had a limit to what he was willing to do for gold. However, it was very likely he would be soon introduced to her dark family and inevitably learn of her 'accomplishments'. She couldn't keep him in the dark forever.

Joining the Thieves Guild gave her excitement and satisfaction in getting away with petty acts here and there to anger others, get them thrown in jail, or just cause general discomfort and panic in different Holds without anyone being able to pin her. She mastered her sneaking skills to the point of practically becoming invisible. There were even a few times that Teldryn almost lost her right around a corner here or there. If she didn't want to be seen, she could make it so, making eavesdropping in her favor easy as blinking. Full pockets and loose coin purses disappeared with a quickness along with gems and jewelry she took a shine to. Sometimes, she would do it just to spite people who angered her, even if it was something as small as making a comment about her oddly colored and somewhat fair skin. She wasn't AFRAID of the sun. She just didn't like it. And so, because of that comment, many people's property would suddenly go missing and she would have a brand new stock of arrows, potions, and some alchemy ingredients. The sweet sweet satisfaction of theft was rewarding and Teldryn was actually impressed by it.

While Kano prepped for their quests, Teldryn stayed seated at the table, cutting off pieces of an apple and thinking to himself as he ate. She didn't recall and he was relieved. There was no awkward conversation to be had or strained explanations as to why it happened. They could just carry on with their normal routine. Once he heard her coming back up the stairs, he threw a couple of apples into his bag and readjusted his bandana.

"So, where are we needed in terms of this skooma issue?" Teldryn asked. He looked up in time to see her biting her lip in thought and lightly swallowed. She may not know what really happened but that didn't make this any easier on his end, recalling her slightly dry but still soft lips against his and how he wouldn't mind taking her full bottom lip between his teeth.

"The storage house", she said, breaking Teldryn's thoughts. "The dealer has more than likely caught wind of the jarl's order to send someone after him so we'll have to be careful when we go in. He won't be there alone."

* * *

Lo and behold, when they snuck into the storage house, Sarthis Idren and Orini Dral already had their weapons drawn and were running towards them. Kano let out a frustrated growl and drew her Blade of Woe and Mehrunes' razor, dodging the waraxe swung in her direction before using the opening and burying one of her blades all the way to the hilt into his throat. The sound of gurgling and struggled breathing sounded from the bandit as blood began to pour from the wound and out of his mouth, his armored body falling to the floor. She turned to see Teldryn burning the other bandit alive and slightly crinkled her nose at the scent of charred flesh and burned hair. Once the other bandit had fallen, they sheathed their weapons and looked around.

"Well, that was fairly simple. What now?" Teldryn asked. Kano looked around and saw the ladder leading to a lower level of the warehouse.

"Now, we just gather the rest of the evidence and bring it to the jarl", she said as she descended the ladder to the basement.

"And let me guess, the jarl is going to send us off in an odd direction to finish cleaning up the mess that she did such a stellar job of fixing in the first place", he sarcastically remarked, following her. She stopped in front of a table covered in bottles of skooma and picked up the folded letter beside the satchel. As her eyes quickly skimmed over the parchment, she folded it back and scooped up everything on the table, dumping it into her bag.

"Yes. We're going to Cragslane Cavern. That's where it's being distributed", she said. "We passed it on the way here. It's hidden farther up in a cave". They made their back to Mistveil Keep and gave the note to the jarl, who unsurprisingly enough asked them to go to the cavern and wipe out the distributors. A small twitch flicked the corner of Kano's mouth, but she simply nodded her head and left the Keep with Teldryn so they could set out for the cavern.

"And why exactly is that woman jarl?" the dark elf asked. Kano shut her eyes and shook her head as they exited the city gate.

"I haven't the slightest in all honesty. I have only been here since the dragons reappeared, so Skyrim was already a mess before I crossed the border. Believe me, there are worse ones I've had the misfortune of meeting". As they came upon the stables, Shadowmere slowly trotted up to Kano and nudged her with his nose. She chuckled and pat him gently, looking up at his glowing red eyes. A flash of the red eyes she had seen in her dream went through her mind but she shook it off. "Not today, my dear. I need you to stay here in the stables for now. I will be back, I promise". Shadowmere let out the equivalent of a childish huff and Kano leaned her head against his. "Behave for Shadr, my sweet boy. I'll be back". Shadowmere headed back to his spot in the stables and turned his head to Shadr who could only look back at the horse nervously before continuing with his work.

"You never did tell me how you came across your horse", Teldryn said as they continued on their way.

"He was a gift", Kano responded, pulling up her hood.

"From who?"

"The previous leader of the Dark Brotherhood. Astrid. She left me the Blade of Woe as well". Teldryn could tell by the somewhat snippy tone of her voice that perhaps this subject was a bit sore for her as she never really told him HOW her relationship to the Dark Brotherhood began or how she became the Listener, so he decided not to further the conversation. Kano noticed his sudden silence and lightly sighed. "I'll tell you about it later. The wound is just still a bit...fresh for me". In terms of ultimate betrayal, the events in the Falkreath sanctuary ticked the top of her list. The first place she found where she fit in and the woman she came to know as her leader ended up being the one trying to kill her. It was stomach churning. And then, everything she revealed to her in the end and her wish for her to be the hand that killed her. She definitely had to recuperate after finally getting to the Dawnstar Sanctuary. She didn't tell Delvin about how or why Astrid died, only that the Penitus Oculatus were the ones that attacked, to which he offered his condolences and a few words for Astrid and the others that were lost. Old bastard could be sympathetic when it mattered.

* * *

Teldryn was a man of many talents, but he could openly admit that he was a bit envious of how Kano handled a bow. She had many bows, some he couldn't fathom how she got a hold of, but as much as they went out adventuring, she couldn't always take them, so she would simply conjure one up and clear out entire barrows and tombs before it disappeared.

He knew their job in the cavern was done when he heard her arrow slice through the air and pierce through the helmet of the last bandit. She stood from her crouched position and dispelled the bow before approaching the body, rummaging through the pockets and armor in search of any gold or lock picks hidden away.

"I suppose that's that", Teldryn said, sheathing his sword. Kano nodded as she pocketed the gold she found and turned to him.

"Yea. We'll stop by Mistveil Keep to let the jarl know it's done and prep whatever else we need before we head out to the ruins", she said as she tugged the cowl and hood down. "I need to sell off some stuff anyway". She counted up all of the gold and the few gems they found and pocketed half of it before handing the small pouch to Teldryn.

"Is it really necessary to make the back and forth trips?" he asked to which she let out a small chuckle.

"Unfortunately. I can never find a courier when I need one and even then, I'm not too keen on the idea of trusting another with certain information. If I do it myself, it won't be screwed up and if it is, it's my fault"

"Fair enough", he nodded as they exited the cavern and made their way back to Riften. Most of the walk back was silent and he became lost in a medley of plaguing thoughts before a hand on his chest plate suddenly knocked him back to reality and he looked up. "Sera?" he said, turning to Kano, who jerked her chin in the direction ahead. He turned his head to see a frantic man in mismatch armor patting down scattered bodies, some of which had been stripped. The man seemed to be a scavenger and not a very sane one judging by his movements. Kano put her hand on the grip of her mace she strapped to her hip after they left the storage house and slowly approached the man to assess the situation. Her eyes scanned over the bodies and she quickly realized they were soldiers both from the Empire and the Stormcloak rebellion and judging by the amount of blood on the scavenger, he wasn't a fan of either side.

"Excuse me", she called to him. He jerked his head in her direction and rose from his crouched position over a Stormcloak as he drew the warhammer on his back.

"Well, ain't this a surprise", he said and began to charge for Kano, who drew her mace and quickly swung it at the man, burying the spikes of it into his throat. The man abruptly dropped his weapon as he tried to reach for his throat while choking on blood. Kano brought her foot up to his chest and kicked him, making him fall onto his back, pieces of his flesh still stuck to her weapon. She approached the man and watched him struggle to breathe for another moment before his head suddenly fell to the side and all of the blood pooled into his mouth spilled, staining the stone walkway. Teldryn approached the mess and looked to the body before looking back to her.

"That was a brief interaction", he nonchalantly said. It wasn't the first time they had encountered a mad man on the side of the road. To be completely honest, he had lost count of how many times they had been attacked out of nowhere for no reason by bandits, marauders, scavengers, cultists, assassins, and some strange armored fellows that seemed keen on trying to end Kano as if her existence were a personal affront. Kano nodded as she leaned down and nabbed the coin purse off his corpse.

"Well, I wasn't going to kill him until he drew on me first", she said with a raised brow. Kano flexed her fingers as she looked down at the body, the ring of Namira rubbing between her fingers. She hadn't told Teldryn of her cannibalism or her vampirism and judging by the comments he had made in Morthal on the topic of vampires, he wasn't a fan, so she kept quiet about those details about herself and continued in the direction of Riften, fighting down the small growl in her stomach for both the blood and flesh but she stifled it, convincing herself that the man more than likely had some type of disease or something of the type that she didn't want and the hunger dissipated quickly.

* * *

"It's nice to receive good news for a change", Laila said as Kano and Teldryn stood before her. Kano bowed her head as the jarl expressed her appreciation at the dragonborn once again solving everyone else's problems for them. She had actually blanked out everything the jarl was saying until she was able to be dismissed, to which she once again gave a polite nod and turned to make her leave, ignoring the evidently suggestive conversation she overheard between Anuriel and Unmid that made her eyes roll as she walked by. If they honestly thought they were being discreet, they clearly didn't catch the way the guards would turn to each other every time they spoke.

"Are they normally that nauseating?" Teldryn asked as he followed Kano to Madesi's stall to sell off the jewelry she looted. She let out a snort.

"If I had less self control, I would vomit between the two just to get them to stop", she said, trading gold and jewelry with the Argonian at the stall, who raised a brow at her statement. She chuckled. "The jarl's steward and housecarl think they're discreet about their relationship", she said to Madesi. He laughed in response as they finished their transactions.

"The behaviors of both men and mer are quite confusing, but as long as they leave me to my business, I do not judge", he said. Kano nodded in agreement and waved as her and Teldryn headed to the entrance to the cistern in the small graveyard. "Madesi is such a lovely gem", she said. Teldryn raised a brow beneath his helmet as he followed her down the ladder.

"He does seem quite sensible", he said. It wasn't a lie. He actually liked him. Not a lot of people had such a composed behavior about them considering the situation the land was plunged in but Madesi was always calm and composed and simply went about his business, unlike a vast number of Nords he had run into that were always rearing for a fight around every corner, especially after a few tankards of mead. But if everyone were as calm and collected as him, he would be out of a job, so he thanked the gods for violent morons with short life spans. Kano jumped off the ladder and made her way to the Ragged Flagon in search of Tonilia, who was sitting at a table beside Galathil.

"Tonilia, my dear, it's so nice to see you-"

"What do you want?" she said, cutting off Kano's greeting as she took a sip from her tankard. She rolled her eyes and sat down with the fence.

"I try to be polite and you shut me down. I thought we were family, my dear"

"Yes, we are, and just like any other family, we drive each other up the wall. Now, what do you have for me?" she said, gesturing towards her travel bag.

"All kinds of goodies, of course". While the two women went over business, Teldryn leaned against the rail nearby and simply looked around, pondering. The days he had spent traveling with her were long and yet, too short. It was something different for him, traveling with someone that had more to them than just bloodlust. Of course, she still had bloodlust. Plenty of it, too. But she was complex. In all of his years traveling across lands with various warriors and the like, this was...different. She didn't expect him to just shut up and do as told. She asked questions about him, got to know him, assured his safety as he assured hers while in battle. It almost felt as if she hired him to be her friend more than her backup and he admitted it was quite nice. Traveling with a friend was far more enjoyable than following around a coin purse. Of course, the gold was the point, but the sense of companionship became just as important to him. For a short moment, he thought it made him soft, but after going a few levels into a cave or a ruin, he decided having someone to protect and to have someone protecting you only made you stronger in battle. Having something to lose gave you strength no potion from any mage could offer. It began to annoy him, though. The job was so much simpler when there was no emotional attachment, making the possibility of death expected and accepted. Now that he had grown attached, the thought frightened him in a way. He didn't want to spend his days back in the Retching Netch doing nothing but drinking sujamma and going over old memories of a fallen friend. He didn't want to grieve over her. His head began to throb after overthinking so much and all he could do was take a deep breath.

At least the gold was worth it.

* * *

 **Sorry. Writer's block has been fucking with me lately. I don't even know if anyone is actually reading this but I don't want to put something out there and then just leave it abandoned, so yea. Please read and review.**

 **-Boss**


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